[meteorite-list] Questions regarding Unclassified meteorite sales

From: Chris Peterson <clp_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Nov 6 11:15:33 2005
Message-ID: <01c101c5e2ed$492fc0c0$f551040a_at_bellatrix>

You can't determine anything about orbits from strewn fields, even knowing
the date and time of the fall. Except in rare cases (such as Sikhote-Alin)
where the body retains cosmic velocity to, or nearly to, the ground, the
direction of strewn fields are determined solely by aerodynamics- mostly by
the atmospheric wind profile. A meteoroid entering from east to west can
easily produce a strewn field extending from west to east (or north to
south, or any other orientation).

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "Darren Garrison" <cynapse_at_charter.net>
To: <meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2005 9:10 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Questions regarding Unclassified meteorite
sales


I tend to disagree with most of your points here. With fossils and human
artifacts, the context and
stratigraphy and associated artifacts are highly important to understanding
the fossil or artifact.
But with a meteorite, where it landed and when it was found and who found it
and the size of the
original chunk are very superficial matters. It would be interesting to be
able to determine the
orbit of the original fragment, but (and correct me if I'm wrong) to deduct
orbits from the
shape/directon of strewn feilds, don't you need to know WHEN it hit?
Wouldn't you need to know what
time of day, and what day of the year before you could use that strewn feild
data to get the orbit?
Received on Sun 06 Nov 2005 11:15:21 AM PST